The Plain Rice Diet is another name for the Rice Diet, a weight-management program developed in the late 1930s and used as a way to help treat people suffering from a variety of obesity-related medical problems. The program is designed to be used under the supervision of a doctor and incorporates nutrition classes, workshops and stress management techniques along with a set menu plan.
Background
The Plain Rice Diet was originally created by Walter Kemper, a physician who pioneered the use of the eating plan in Duke University's Department of Medicine in 1939. The diet's name comes from Kemper's observation that cultures where rice is a staple food rarely develop health conditions related to excess weight. Kemper and his colleagues used the diet to help patients suffering from hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and severe obesity lose weight rapidly.
Guidelines
At Duke University, the Plain Rice Diet is only one part of a live-in, two- to four-week program that also incorporates a support network of fellow dieters, training in stress management techniques and nutrition workshops and classes. The diet can be divided into three phases: Phase I, Phase II and the maintenance phase. During Phase I, also called the detox part of the program, dieters eat only whole grains and fruits. According to the Rice Diet Program website, individuals who are participating in Duke University's weight loss plan can remain in this first phase of the diet for at least one to two weeks. In Phase II of the diet, you will eat whole grains, fruit, vegetables, beans and fish once a week. The maintenance phase allows you to add two servings of protein per week, from lean chicken, fish, tofu, cheese or nuts. The foods on the diet are both extremely low sodium and low fat. During all parts of the diet, an aerobic activity such as swimming or walking and a spiritual activity like yoga is recommended.
Sample Menus
Dieters following the Plain Rice Diet at the Duke University program consume only whole grains and vegetables in Phase I of the plan. If you want to follow the plan at home, however, a typical week in Phase I of the diet should be divided into two categories: Day 1 meals and Days 2 through 7 meals. On the first day of each week in Phase I, you will eat two servings of whole grains, such as brown rice or quinoa, and two servings of fruit three times a day. For Days 2 through 7, you will consume one whole grain serving, one nonfat dairy serving and one fruit serving for breakfast, with lunch and dinner consisting of three vegetable servings, one fruit serving and three whole grain servings. The Phase II and maintenance phase daily menus follow the same pattern, with the addition of one to two protein servings added in per week.
Advantages
According to the Diets in Review and Every Diet sites, the Plain Rice Diet has a high rate of success in helping obese individuals lose weight quickly. Recipes and detailed meal plans are provided by the book, "The Rice Diet Solution," written by Kitty Gurkin Rosati and Robert Rosati. For participants in the Duke University program, trained nutritionists and health professionals write the meal plans. All of the foods emphasized in the Plain Rice Diet are low-sodium and low-fat. Carbohydrates are provided by whole grains and all of the recommended proteins are lean. In addition, the main Rice Diet site sells low and no sodium products such as condiments, soups and snacks.
Disadvantages
The most prominent disadvantage of the Plain Rice Diet is that, in order to follow the diet's guidelines exactly, you should be under medical supervision because portions of the program -- Phase I of the diet in particular -- could be dangerous for some individuals to stay on for an extended period without their blood sugar levels, blood pressure and electrolyte balance regularly monitored, according to the website for the Rice Diet Program. In addition, adhering to the diet's severe salt, portion and calorie restrictions -- while on the diet, you can consume only about 1,000 calories daily -- might make it difficult for some dieters to achieve success on the program. Many essential aspects of the diet, such as a personalized exercise regimen designed by exercise physiologists, are only available to people participating in the Duke University program.
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